Celebrate National Embroidery Month with Our Newest Designers!

February is National Embroidery Month!  And it just happens that the newest additions to our design family are both embroidery experts!  We asked them to share a few of their favorite tips for creating beautiful hand embroidered projects.

Cindy Staub of Quilt Doodle Designs debuted with Marcus last month with her SNOWMEN SNOW GLOBE BOM program, using her pre-printed panel and coordinating PRIMO PLAID FLANNELS: New Blues. We love Cindy’s mix of blue flannel stars surrounding the “snowfriends” globe, which she cut from the panel.  On the panel you’ll find other fun design elements suitable for smaller projects, whether stitched or used as they are.

We asked Cindy to share a few embroidery tips; these are some of her favorites:

  • Use good quality thread such as Valdani #12 pearl cotton. “I am fond of the variegated thread since I like the extra dimension it gives my stitching.”
  • Have a small scissor handy for snipping threads. Cindy uses the OLFA.applique scissors.
  • If you are a beginner to embroidery, don’t fret, you don’t need to know a bunch of stitches. “Good stitches to begin with are a backstitch
    and French knots.”
  • Cindy also recommends using a light to medium weight fusible (iron-on) interfacing to underline your fabric, it helps hide your thread from the ‘backside’.

Karen Phillips-Shwallon made her design debut for Marcus with HEIRLOOM SPLENDOR, a trio of pre-printed panels ready for your thread embellishment and more.  The designs would be perfect for wedding and anniversary gifts and new baby keepsakes, as well as everyday home decor enjoyment.

She also share a few favorite creative products:

  • For her stuffwork dimensional needlework Karen prefers Tuscany 100% Premium Polyester OR  Mountain Mist Light as her batting and DMC Perle #12 thread
  • Embroidery thread:  DMC Perle #12
  • Embroidery needles:  John James  JJ135-3-9
  • Quilting thread:  Mettler Silk Finish quilting thread 50 wt solid cotton
  • Quilting needles:  Tulip 10 quilting needles (“the best”)

Look for these beginner-friendly pre-printed panels in quilt shops – Heirloom Splendor is available now, and Snowmen Snow Globe comes to quilt shops in June, when we’ll likely welcome cool thoughts as we line up new stitching projects for fall and winter!

Quilt Market-Bound, Part II – Booth Demos & Cool Clothes!

It’s that time again — final prep mode continues as we prepare to greet our quilt shop owners and industry friends at Spring Quilt Market!  This time, the trade show is in Portland, OR, May 18-20.  If you’re attending, you’ll find us in Booth # 737.

 

Pati Violick, our Director of Advertising & Marketing, will share a few cool techniques in the booth for various types of handwork, incorporating our versatile new basic BASECLOTH.  

And speaking of Basecloth, you’ll also want to see some of the gorgeous garments designed by Amy Barickman of Indygo Junction, also in the Basecloth – we told you it was versatile!   These easy, timeless silhouettes prove that our season-spanning cotton Basecloth goes far beyond quilting and needlework.  Shown below in three of the eight classic colors, the clothing patterns below (and many others) are available through Indygo Junction.  Now… for extra credit, imagine a bit of embroidery or other custom handwork along the edge of one of these garments…